Science and Religion Dialogue at Yale

The Reverend Nihal C. de Lanerolle, D.Phil., D.Sc.
Chaplain-in-Residence, Episcopal Church at Yale
Professor of Neurosurgery & Neurobiology

The primary audience for this group will the undergraduate and graduate students, faculty and staff at Yale University. The program will also be advertised at other New Haven area colleges (of which there are five) as well as in New Haven and surrounding communities, and welcome anyone who wishes to participate. We anticipate about 10-15 participants, but if the response is larger we will develop two or more groups so that effective dialogue can be maintained.

This committee is a small multidisciplinary group, which will advise the Chairperson on the selection of important books, speakers to invite and on any issues relating to the effective operation of the dialogue groups.

The plan for this group envisages as its foundation, reading groups that would read critical, influential and seminal publications in the sciences. They would gather together initially once every two weeks (and as the group consolidates, perhaps weekly) to discuss these books. The discussion group will have persons proficient in the scientific issues and concepts being discussed, to explain and critically clarify them to the non-scientist participant, as well as theologians/philosophers/ethicists to clarify issues that emerge in these disciplines to the scientist participant to generate active and critical discussion of the books being read. To this end the chairperson will invite appropriate scientists and theologians/ethicists/philosophers from Yale and the local community to participate in these meetings along with the regular group members. The readings/discussions are proposed in three areas of science that are rapidly advancing, and whose findings have significant impact on questions of theology, ethics and belief, in particular of the Judaeo-Christian tradition. The areas of science that will be explored are the neurosciences, genetics/molecular biology, and ecology. Each discipline will be the theme for one of the three years.

There is a strong environment at Yale for the development of a science and religion dialogue group. Yale has one of the largest collections of neuroscientists in the country (~ 100 persons) engaged in active research. They are found in the departments of Neurobiology, Neurology, Neurosurgery, Pharmacology, Psychiatry, Psychology and Biology. Likewise there are strong programs in genetics and molecular biology, with faculty based in the departments of human genetics, molecular biology and biophysics, and biology. Studies in ecology are pursued in the Schools of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, as well as the School of Forestry. Experts in Theology, Philosophy and Ethics are found is the Divinity School, the Department of Religious Studies and the Department of Philosophy. Thus there is a large body of experts on whom we could draw for the dialogue groups. Additionally the Interdisciplinary Bioethics Project at Yale, and a "Working group to explore and advance at Yale the dialogue among religion, spirituality, science and technology in its theological, cultural and ethical implications" under the direction of Prof. Wesley Avram of the Divinity School, are two programs with which we will develop close links. Discussions are currently underway with Dr. Avram to establish an academic working group on 'Religion & Science' composed of faculty and graduate students. This group in the nature of a 'think tank' will function in parallel and along with the dialogue groups. The long-term goal of this approach is to institute an academic course in science and religion at Yale and to foster research in this area.